Council Member Stephanie Mora Addresses City Manager’s Decision to Negate Council Decision

Council Member Stephanie Mora Addresses City Manager’s Decision to Negate Council Decision

Burien City Manager Adolfo Bailon notified the Burien City Council of his intent to place a portapotty at the new tent encampment on 152nd and 6th. The Burien City Council voted on Monday night in a 4-3 count not to put a portapotty in the new campground. The issue was brought up repeatedly by City Council member Cydney Moore who directed campers to move their tents up to the location on March 30th. Frustration with C. Moore’s constant harangue regarding the placement of a portapotty at the site was palpable by Jimmy Matta, Kevin Shilling, Stephanie Mora, and Mayor Sofia Aragon.

Below please find the memorandum sent by Bailon to the City Council Members and Mora’s response.

Council Member Mora’s Response:

Hello,

Thanks for the update. I have a couple of questions.

A) Do you know why the last portable bathroom was removed?
It is my understanding that sex trafficking, drug use, people vandalizing it with feces on the walls, and ultimately burning it was to blame.

B) I hope you’re not making assumptions about what the businesses affected by this want. The council voted 3 times against having a portable bathroom at this encampment. The business owners directly affected by this encampment all told me before Monday’s meeting that they didn’t want a portable bathroom short or long term.

Did you or city staff survey them? I’m assuming this decision was made yesterday or today, as the council just voted against this on Monday.

In the last 48 hours. Did you or staff contact the Owners of Town Square Dentistry?

Subway? Counterforce Taekwondo? Who did you contact and survey about this decision?

There are many more that I personally surveyed, but did you even ask the nearest 3?

Not only does this undermine the entire council voting process, it was the biggest waste of time to sit there and go back and forth over the portable bathroom if you were just going to sign off it anyways.

I have a concern that this sends a message to the campers that they are welcome to stay at this location indefinitely, and that will discourage them from leaving when they are offered other shelters or services.

Thank you,
Stephanie Mora
Burien Council Member seat 7